Under the Stars
by BlackRabbit0
Summary: The Bito household was not always a mess before. Before they were happy, almost reaching a perfect family before it all fell to shambles. Beat and their parents were always going at it while Rhyme was often trying to resolve it or pretended to ignore it. Home wasn't home anymore and all she could do was think under the stars.


**Ello ello, it's been a while I know, but college life can be tiring and I just finished a mid-term which was early in the morning so I'm derping up right now. Ignore the grammar mistakes, I'm afraid my writing has actually deteriorated as of late. **

_"Beat, what are we doing?"_

"We gonna look at the stars, Rhyme!"

"Stars?" She looks up at the night sky, eying the little diamonds it carried. They glow dimly but at the same time they are bright. She smiles. "They're pretty."

Beat gave her a grin. "Yeah. Pops told me tha' one over there's the north star and I feel lost, it ca' bring me home."

"Can stars really do that?" Rhyme asked.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "Hasn't failed me yet."

Rhyme still keeps those memories and holds them rather fondly in her heart. They are treasures to her. Treasures and trinkets of memories that would give a sense of lightness in her heart. The little memories that could make her smile her warm trademark smile. She still remembers how she and her brother would sneak out of their tents whenever they had their family camping trip and just go into a wide open space to stargaze and play. She remembers how their father - before their family began to slowly break apart - would join in on the fun rather than reprimand them for sneaking out. He would teach them about the different constellations and the stories behind them as well as their meanings and how to find them. He would also tell them that if they were ever lost or upset, just look up at the stars.

It has been years since they last left for a camping trip though and Rhyme found herself missing the little crystals twinkling in the dark. The lights of Shibuya are nice, but they overpowered the stars' efforts and electronic lights held no candle to that of celestial symbols. Whenever she had the chance to, she would go stargazing - often times alone - and clear whatever ailed her mind. It would help settle her thoughts and calm her down or ease her mind knowing that the stars don't judge.

She could hear them yelling again. Beat and their father. It was one of the harsher fights, where her dad would tear open old wounds and where Beat would bite back with remarks about he hardly acts like a father and how he only acted as one when it was convenient for him. Normally, she put her ear buds on and pretend that they are not yelling, just speaking loudly.

Rhyme gave up on denial a long time ago though.

"Yo' man, I had 'nuff of this bull! I'm out!"

Rhyme could feel the door slam from her room upstairs. Beat was far past angry this time. Usually she ran after him almost immediately, but whenever he was this upset, she waits a bit longer and give him a chance to calm down a bit. This particular day though, she could not bring herself to follow him. All she could think about was how her family was falling apart.

_Why is like this? We were so happy before._

Rhyme began to run out the door, her father assuming she was going to bring Beat back home as usual. She wasn't. She just wanted to walk and think quietly. Get away from the noise. She wandered through Shibuya just thinking. Reminiscing. Shibuya was busy as usual, people walking in and out of shops constantly. The little blonde eyed an old candy shop around the corner and smiled. She remembered how Beat would take her there after school when they walked home and how he would buy jawbreakers and sour candies for them to share. Then there was the restaurant they would always go to for Sunday dinners. Oh, how happy they were back then! She remembered how their mother would let them order dessert if they did well on a test and how their father would play with them in the park and arcades.

_I miss those days._

She bit back the tears and hung her head low, praying that no one sees her. She kept walking and walking, wandering aimlessly through the Shibuya until she hit a park. Empty, lights dying but bright enough to see where she was going. Without another thought, she took a seat on the grass and stared up at the skies. She smiled. Rhyme never thought she missed the stars this much. They brought on memories for her. The camping trips, the games, the stories...

How close her family was...

Knees held close and her face buried in her sleeves, she let out a shaky sigh. Tears began to stain her sweater a darker shade of orange, and her cheeks turned to a rosy red. She couldn't help but question what happened. Have all those good times become one of the stars? If so, which one was it and how can she bring it back? It was unfair. How could they become like this? They were happy! At peace! And yet somehow, things have fallen into shambles.

"Rhyme."

She didn't look up. Instead, she felt herself surrounded by warmth, set between a pair of legs, a comforting hand on her head. She began to burst into more tears.

"I'm sorry." Pause. "I didn' know it was so hard on ya."

Rhyme looked at him and noticed his eyes were red, cheeks stained with dried tears. It looked like Beat felt the same as well. She smiled and leaned back, indulging herself in her brother's warmth. "Hey, Beat?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to go home yet."

Beat looked up where Rhyme was looking. Stargazing was his favorite memory as well. It often reminded him that he has a sister who loves him dearly and that there was a time their family was genuinely happy. Often times, it made him regret saying those things to his dad and other times, it confirms them and makes him miss the good old days. It made him happy, just being under the stars like this. He felt comfortable under their skies.

"Rhyme. We're home, yo'." He grinned.

_Home under the stars. _


End file.
